Universal vacuum extension kit

ABSTRACT

A vacuum extension kit elements includes extensions, a flexible hose and an adapter, each having plural diameter male and female connectors for connection to different size vacuum cleaner elements and attachments. The conduit through the elements is essentially a uniform diameter, for uninterrupted flow, and is small enough to double the flow velocity through standard vacuum cleaner elements. A clog preventer, for filtering out large particles, and inserts, for optional further reduction of female connector inside diameters, are also provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

A universal vacuum cleaner extension kit extends the reach of standardcleaners.

2. Description of Related Art

Most vacuum cleaners come with some sort of extension and replacementparts. These prove to be satisfactory for the standard rooms, but do notmeet the needs for high locations such as high ceilings, vaultedceilings, high windows, and high foyers.

In the vacuum cleaner art, extensions are well known for reachingheights and for extending the horizontal reach from the collectioncannister or bag. There is no universally accepted standard for tubingor connectors. However, most tubing and connectors used with vacuumcleaners vary from 1¼ inches to ½ inches in diameter. B. Baxter (U.S.Pat. No. 2,122,633, issued Jul. 5, 1938) is an example of tubularextension sections having locking couplings between the sections. N.Okun (U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,437, issued Aug. 6, 1957) teaches a taperedmale and female coupling; N. Schneider (U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,776, issuedMay 2, 1995) teaches small tapers for frictionally securing parts ofvacuum attachments to extension tubes; and, R. McDowell (U.S. Pat. No.4,053,962, issued Oct. 18, 1977) teaches several stepped and taperedinner surfaces for forcefully attaching a tubular vacuum cleaner sectionto various size nozzles, such as 1¼ and 1½ inch external diameternozzles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to components that attach to most cannister andupright vacuums. To meet the special needs for extending the reach ofvacuum cleaners, this invention provides extensions with a decreaseduninterrupted internal diameter to increase velocity within theextensions for improved removal of dust, cobwebs and insects, a hoseextension and adapter.

There are four to six extensions provided in the kit. Each extension hasa male and a female plastic end connector with tapered surfaces thatallow for easy slip-fit attachment to each other. The average heightperson with four three-foot extensions or six two-foot extensions canreach about seventeen feet in height. This allows a person to stand onone floor and vacuum the ceiling and corners of an above floor or a2^(nd) level.

There is an adapter provided for connecting the extensions to existingvacuum hoses, attachments, and pipes. It is primarily used to attach anextension to vacuum units having a smaller diameter conduit.

A flexible hose extension is provided for additional flexibility andadditional operator freedom when using an existing hose. The flexhose isespecially useful for upright vacuum cleaners in view of the shortflexible hoses used on them as compared to the cannister type. While anextension can be attached to the upright flexible hose, a very limitedfreedom of movement usually results. Connecting the flexible hose of theinvention to the flexible hose of a vacuum cleaner adds footage and usewell beyond the vacuum cleaner. A tapered or stepped female fitting canbe provided on the flexhose. With it a standard or smaller diametervacuum can be connected. The opposite end of the flexhose can beconnected to the extension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an extension with parts shown separatedand with sectional views of the end connectors.

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the adapter.

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a clog preventer.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the clog preventer of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of a hose extension with the end connectors shown insection.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the female end connector of the hoseextension with an alternate adapter insert.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a container housing the components of theextension kit.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the container of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows an extension 10 having an elongated tube 11 with femaleconnector 19 and male connector 20. The elongated tube has a wallthickness sufficient to make it self-supporting and capable ofsupporting an accessory (i.e. tool implement, etc.), other extensions,and the moderate lateral pressures used against surfaces to be cleaned.If stainless steel is used, a wall thickness of 0.01 to 0.02 inches hasbeen found sufficient with ¾ to 1 inch diameter tubes. The femaleconnector 19 is provided with a cylindrical opening 13 in a first end 12to receive one first end of the elongated tube 11 with a tapered wallthickness that increases inwardly. A stop 14 is formed by having thewall thicker at a central inner location for locating the end travel ofthe elongated tube and strengthening the connector between the elongatedtube and receiving first end 12 and an element held within the cavity 27of the female connector second end 18. The connector second end has aninwardly decreasing diameter that can have a uniform taper, or bestepped 28, or a combination of the two, to receive standard diameteraccessories or elements, or to be attached to the male end 52 of theflexhose or extensions. The inside diameter at the end 15 can be about1½ inches, at the middle 17 1⅜ inches, and at the base 16 1¼ inches.

The male connector 20 includes a first end 21 having a cylindricalopening 22 that receives a second end of the elongated tube 11. Athicker wall 23 with a slightly smaller internal diameter 25 at the baseof the cylindrical opening 22 acts as a stop for the elongated tube. Thesecond end 24 of the male connector 20 is provided with a modestexternal taper that gives a slightly larger outside diameter 24 a at thecentral area and a slightly smaller outside diameter 24 b on the secondend. The outside taper is also designed to engage a female connector ofanother extension or standard accessory or the adapter 30 so as toattach to smaller accessories.

The extensions can be made from various metal and plastic materials thatoffer strength, rigidity and light weight. Since the assembled extensionmust be strong enough to be essentially self supporting, stainless steeltubing is preferred. Most plastics have been found to be too flexible,heavy and hard to control. The end connectors or fittings are preferablyABS plastic attached to the tubing with a high strength adhesive such asCA-50 GEL sold by 3M Corporation. A ¾ to 1 inch diameter tube has about0.44 to 0.79 square inch of flow area, while a 1¼ to 1½ inch diametertube has about a 1.2 to 1.8 square inch flow area. By using tubes havinga diameter of from ¾ to 1 inch, the velocity within the tube isincreased by about 200% and the overall weight that must be manipulatedis reduced.

The end connectors or fittings are somewhat larger or thicker than thosethat are used in the prior art. This is to accommodate the smallerdiameter tube yet allows it to fit larger diameter accessories found onsome vacuum cleaner hoses and conduits. They also join the tubes suchthat an uninterrupted flow path extends through the tubes, when they arejoined together, and gives the extensions a rigid support.

The female connectors, on their inner surfaces, and the male connectors,on their outer surfaces, can be provided with irregularities such asridges or recesses around their circumferences or longitudinally. It hasbeen found that a smooth surface male connector placed inside a smoothsurfaced female receptor has such a hold that it is very difficult topull them apart. This could be from a vacuum type hold created betweenthe two. To overcome this problem, it has been found that ridges orrecesses around the circumference or longitudinally on these surfacesprovide the necessary grip for securing the two together while giving areasonably easy release of the two. This use is illustrated aslongitudinal recesses 29 inside female connector 19 of the extension 10shown in FIG. 1 and as circumferential ridges 57 on male connector 52 ofthe flexible hose 50 shown in FIG. 5. The preferred size of theseirregularities is from 0.01 to 0.02 inches in height and up to 0.12inches in width that extend from 1 to 1½ inches in length. Theirregularities can be rectangular or rounded and may be tapered alongtheir length in any given area they are used at. The recesses and ridgesare designed into the connector so as to not let air in and/or themating connectors are designed to make contact circumferentially and theinner and/or outer end of the connectors to block air leakage.

An adapter 30 is shown in FIG. 2. The first end 31 has a cylindricalouter surface and a tapered inner opening 32. The outer opening firstend 32 b has a larger diameter than the inner opening second end 32 afor example. This opening 32 accommodates male extensions generallyranging from 1.16 to 1.25 inches. This could be the male connector 20 ofextension 10 or the male connector of some larger element or accessory.The second end 34 is joined 33 to the first end and has a passage 35 anda tapered outer wall with an inner outside diameter 34 a that has alarger diameter than the outer end outside diameter 34 b. The tapergenerally ranges from 0.09 to 1.15 inches and is designed to engage withthe elements or accessories used on smaller vacuum sizes. The adapterallows the extensions, having a smaller diameter than commonly used, toconnect to standard vacuums having a larger diameter, usually 1¼ to 1½inch. Additional adapters can be provided to allow extensions to attachto accessories with smaller than standard diameters.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a clog preventer 40. The clog preventer can be usedin areas having a large number of large particles. It is used to prevententrance of these particles into areas that might permit clogging suchas the smaller diameter flexhose and extensions. The clog preventer body41 is similar in size and shape to the female connector end 32 of theadapter 30 of FIG. 2. A first open end gives access to area 42 that canfit over the male connector 20 second end 24 or over the male connector52 outer surface 53. A second closed end 44 is provided with apertures43 permitting air and small particle passage.

FIG. 5 shows a hose extension 50 provided with the present invention.The hose extension has a flexible hose 51 with an inside diameter ofabout 0.75 inch having a male hose connector 52 on one first end and afemale hose connector 67 on the second end. The male hose connector 52has a threaded internal recess 55 for threading in the first end of thehose although it can be permanently bonded or molded in place. A hosestop 56 limits the distance the hose can be threaded into the male hoseconnector. The second end of the hose connector has a tapered outersurface 53 for placement in the female connector 19 of the extension 10.As an alternative, attachments can be directly connected onto thetapered outer surface 53. The male hose connector second end has aninternal passage 54 that is essentially the same diameter as theextension passage diameter.

The hose extension 50 female hose connector 67 on the hose extensionsecond end has a threaded first end 65 that receives the hose until astop 66 is engaged. The female hose connector second end 63 has a taper68 with a decreasing internal diameter going from the second end towardthe first end. The second end taper is designed to receive the maleconnector end of the vacuums. An internal recessed insert 69 can betemporarily or permanently placed within the taper 68 of the connectorsecond end 63 if necessary to fit other vacuum cleaners with smallerconnectors. The internal recessed insert reduces the diameter of thetapered recess 68 from about 1.16 to 0.09 inches. The outside diameterof the second end 63 is approximately 1.5 inches which will fit ontovacuum extensions that are larger. The plastic or rubber used to makethe elements, such as the female connector 67 of FIG. 6, has enoughresilience to expand or contract to accommodate slight differencesexisting between some vacuum cleaners.

FIG. 6 shows an optional insert for the female connector tapered secondend 63 with the hose 51 threaded into the female connector first end 65.An internal outer insert 61 can be placed into the second end of thefemale hose connector until a shoulder 62 on the internal outer insertabuts the outer end of the female connector. The internal outer insertenables a smaller outside diameter vacuum unit to be connected to thehose extension. The internal outer insert 61 reduces the diameter of thefemale hose connector first end from about 1.25 to 1.15 inches. Theinternal outer insert can be temporarily or permanently placed on thefemale hose connector first end.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the parts of the extension assembled in a container70 for transport and storage. The kit contains from four to sixextensions 10 each with a male connector 20 and female connector 19; ahose extension 50 with a male connector 52 and a female connector 67; afirst adapter 30; a clog preventer 40; an outer internal insert 61; andan internal recessed insert 69 packaged as a unit. The container 70shown is in the form of a clear plastic “clamshell,” vacuum formed tohouse the parts of the kit for transport and storage. The clamshellcontainer securely holds the parts that fit into a molded area storagecompartment in a back side 71. A cover 74 on the front side is connectedto the back side by a living hinge 72 on the bottom side of thecontainer. The back side and front side are removably secured togetherby a hanger type hook 73 on the top side. The portion of the hanger onthe back side 71 and front side cover 74 snap fit together to removablyhold the cover in place over the back side. The hook allows theclamshell container 70 to be placed on a closet pole or hook for easystorage and forms a grip for transport.

It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of thisinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to beunderstood that the present disclosure is illustrative only and thatchanges, variations, substitutions, modifications and equivalents willbe readily apparent to one skilled in the art and that such may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A universal vacuum extension kit comprising: anextension having an elongated tube with a female connector on one endand a male connector on a second end; a flexible hose having a femaleconnector on one end and a male connector on a second end; an adapterhaving a female connector on one end and a male connector on a secondend; said female connector of said extension and said male connector ofsaid flexible hose are connectable together; said male connector of saidadapter and said female connector of said flexible hose are connectabletogether; said female connector of said adapter having differentdiameters that are connectable to different diameter male connectors. 2.The universal vacuum extension kit as in claim 1 wherein: said flexiblehose female connector has different inside diameters along its length;said flexible hose male connector has different outside diameters alongits length, to accommodate different diameter connectors.
 3. Theuniversal vacuum extension kit as in claim 2 wherein: said kit includesfour said extensions; said extension female connector has differentinside diameters along its length; said extension male connector hasdifferent outside diameters along its length, to accommodate differentdiameter connectors.
 4. The universal vacuum extension kit as in claim 3wherein: said adapter male connector has different outside diametersalong its length to accommodate different diameter female connectors. 5.The universal vacuum extension kit as in claim 4 including: an internalrecess insert for insertion into said flexible hose female connector forreducing the inside diameter of said flexible hose female connectorinside diameter to accommodate smaller male connectors.
 6. The universalvacuum extension kit as in claim 1 wherein: said extension maleconnector minimum outside diameter is larger than said elongated tubediameter such that the relative cross-sectional area of said extensionmale connector outside diameter and said elongated tube diameter doublethe relative velocity of air coming into said elongated tube from asource having a diameter the size of said extension male connectoroutside diameter.
 7. The universal vacuum extension kit as in claim 1wherein: said elongated tube inside diameter, and said extension maleand female connectors, and said flexible hose, and said flexible hosemale and female connectors all have an internal flow path when connectedthat provides an essentially uninterrupted flow path therethrough. 8.The universal vacuum extension kit as in claim 1 including: a clogpreventer having a first open end and a second closed end; said secondclosed end having apertures that permit air and small particle passagewhile filtering out large particles.
 9. The universal vacuum extensionkit as in claim 8 including: a clamshell container formed to removablysecure said extension, said flexible hose, said adapter and said clogpreventer for transport and storage; said clamshell container having astorage compartment on a back side, a cover on a front side, a hookmeans on a top side and a hinge means on a bottom side.
 10. Theuniversal vacuum extension kit as in claim 1 wherein: said maleconnectors all have small irregularities placed thereon to ease theforce necessary to disconnect them.
 11. A universal vacuum extension kitincluding: an extension having an elongated tube with a female connectoron one end and a male connector on a second end; a flexible hose havinga female connector on one end and a male connector on a second end; anadapter having a female connector on one end and a male connector on asecond end; said male connector of said extension and said femaleconnector of said flexible hose are connectable together; said femaleconnector of said adapter and said male connector of said flexible hoseare connectable together; said male connector of said adapter havingdifferent diameters that are connectable to different diameter femaleconnectors.
 12. The universal vacuum extension kit as in claim 11wherein: said flexible hose male connector has different outsidediameters along its length; said flexible hose female connector hasdifferent inside diameters along its length, to accommodate differentdiameter connectors.
 13. The universal vacuum extension kit as in claim12 wherein: said kit includes four said extensions; said extensionfemale connector has different inside diameters along its length; saidextension male connector has different outside diameters along itslength, to accommodate different diameter connectors.
 14. The universalvacuum extension kit as in claim 13 wherein: said adapter femaleconnector has different inside diameters along its length to accommodatedifferent diameter male connectors.
 15. The universal vacuum extensionkit as in claim 14 including: an internal recess insert for insertioninto said flexible hose female connector for reducing the insidediameter of said flexible hose female connector inside diameter toaccommodate smaller male connectors.
 16. The universal vacuum extensionkit as in claim 11 wherein: said extension male connector minimumoutside diameter is larger than said elongated tube diameter such thatthe relative cross-sectional area of said extension male connectoroutside diameter and said elongated tube diameter double the relativevelocity of air coming into said elongated tube from a source having adiameter the size of said extension male connector outside diameter. 17.The universal vacuum extension kit as in claim 11 wherein: saidelongated tube inside diameter, and said extension male and femaleconnectors, and said flexible hose, and said flexible hose male andfemale connectors all have an internal flow path when connected thatprovides an essentially uninterrupted flow path therethrough.
 18. Theuniversal vacuum extension kit as in claim 11 including: a clogpreventer having a first open end and a second closed end; said secondclosed end having apertures that permit air and small particle passagewhile filter out large particles.
 19. The universal vacuum extension kitas in claim 18 including: a clamshell container formed to removablysecure said extension, said flexible hose, said adapter and said clogpreventer for transport and storage; said clamshell container having astorage compartment on a back side, a cover on a front side, a hookmeans on a top side and a hinge means on a bottom side.
 20. Theuniversal vacuum extension kit as in claim 11 wherein: said femaleconnectors all have small irregularities placed thereon to ease theforce necessary to disconnect them from their corresponding maleconnectors.